What Do You See?

When I sit quietly and watch my boys, I find myself thinking, what do you see? How do you see things? What are you thinking? It's said that autistic children don't have an imagination, I'm not sure I believe that. Just because they don't play like stereotypical kids doesn't mean they have no imagination. We just don't see any imaginative play as we know it. Now, I'm not saying they do or do not have an imagination, I don't can't know.

Sometimes I'll try to get down on their level and see what I think they are looking at. Like a lot of kiddos with ASD, one of my babes is mostly non-verbal, he has some "verbal imitation" (words he'll repeat when asked) he'll use when asked a question. He has some manding (requesting) words he will use when he wants something, but nothing as far as conversational ability. The other twin has more verbal skills, but also doesn't have the conversational ability.

I'll ask them what they're looking at, always wanting... hoping... wishing... they would answer. Since they don't, I have to imagine - imagine what they see and might be thinking. Sometimes I'll offer what I'm thinking, which is usually met with (what I imagine to be) a knowing look like, "wow mom - you got it"; or they'll laugh or I definitely know I'm wrong when they look at me and walk off. 

It's still fun to get down to their level and try to figure out just what they see. To try to follow their line of vision and hope I'm looking at the same thing they are. I know from different things I've read that there are many different ways people see things. For instance, there are "visual thinkers" who can actually see how things work just by looking at it, or hearing about it. There are those who can "see" words, or "taste" colors, or even "see" music. Imagine being able to do any of those, I think that would be pretty neat.

Many of those who are on the spectrum and have found a way to communicate have told us that they have understood everything they ever heard. Many people that are autistic have incredible memories, some even have an eidetic memory (the ability to recall with vivid accuracy things that have been heard, seen or read).

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-eidetic-memory.htm

I watch our kiddos look at something for several minutes at a time, turning the object around and around. Staring intently on it, leave it alone for a while, then come back and stare at it again. Other times I watch them look at the surroundings from different angles, looking out the sides of their eyes:

I've tried to look at things this way, from a side view, and I've got to admit... it hurts my eyes. They also squint to see other things:

They have many other ways that they look at things: from laying on their side next to an object; laying on their back on the couch or a chair with their head hanging over; leaning over with their head on the floor - looking between their legs; etc. When I think there is no new view for them to see, they position their body in a whole new way.

From a mother's heart - remember to watch your kiddos, try to see the things they see, the way they see it.
God Bless


ASD (autistic spectrum disorder)